Cigarette package opener



y 1932- F. 1.: WEST ET AL 1,859,120 7 CIGARETTE PACKAGE OPENER Filed May 21, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 17, 1932. F. L. WEST ET AL CIGARETTE PACKAGE OPENER Filed May 21, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 1?, 1932 laiddd i FRANK L. EST AND LA URL BEE-.A. MARTIN, OLE .ZBRADENTQN, FLORIDA OIGARETTE PACKAGE OEPENER Application filed May 21, 1930. "Serial No. 454,492.

Cigarette smokers usually open a package of cigarettes merely by tearing one corner of the package to afford access to a few cigarettes so that there will be little likelihood of the cigarettes falling out of the package after the first one or two are used.

The object of our invention isto provide an improved electrically operated cigarette package opener, particularly adapted tor on a counter or at other suitable point of a store selling tobacco, cigars and cigarettes, which will always be in readiness to suitably open a part of the end of the package of cigarettes merely by the insertion ofthe package in the machine, thus affording a quick and convenient means by which a purchaser .may open his package of cigarettes as soon as he has purchased it. 7

In the present machine, there is an electric motor adapted to operate a cutter and inc-lu ded in an electric circuit deriving current from the usual lighting circuit, the n" tor circuit being provided with a seli' ope g electrical switch arrangel for oper ion when a package of cigarettes presented "to the machine so that by the time the package been fed to the cutter, the motor is in full operation and the cutter will thenautomatically sever the end of the package 'or weapping ot the cigarettes and out into the seal, thereby conforming to the law in respect to breaking the and openino package sufficiently so that he l: 1' may readily have access to a a ew oigarcitv i out, however, condition ng the package so that the cigarettes will fall therefrom or out into the cigarettes themselves.

A practical embodiment of the invention is fully described hereinafter and is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view, dotted lines representing the cigarette package when in the machine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, the cigarette package having been fully inserted and the package opened by the cutter;

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

4 is a perspective view of the opened cigarette package; and

Fig. 5 :is :a similar view of the preferred form of cutter.

The operative parts of the machine may be conveniently enclosed within a case 1, having a detachable base 2 :adapting ft to be supported on a counter or other suitable support in a store or other place where cigarettes are for sale. The base 2 permits detachment of the case 1 to afford access to the parts contained therein. Any suitable means in ay be provided for connecting the case and ase. I

' Thecas'e 1 has a-oompartment 3 which may extend thereinto from the top, side or end and which is of a size adapting it to snugly,

yet easily, receive a {package of cigarettes 4 having the usual seal-4'.

"The lower end of the compartment has a part thereof open, as shown at 5, to expose to the cutter at least a sufiicient area of the package 4, as will enable the cutter to destroy the seal 4,

Any suitable tray or drawer 6 may be provided beneath the opening 5 to catch the cuttings and said tray may extend through a side of the case 1 so that it can be easily removed T o dispose of such cuttings from time to tune. 1

An electric motor 7, which is secured at 8, to the side of the case 1, has its armature shaft 9 disposed vertically and there is an improved cutter 10 which is suitably fastened to the shaft 9, said cutter having longitudinal, opposite. cutting-edges to make a transverse cut in the endof the package 4,- and end cutters 11 which extend angularly in relation to the plane of the blade or cutter 10 and constitute a means to out through the seal 4 so that the seal will be mutilated.

The cutter 10 is adapted to revolve in the tion 14 or otherwise insulated from the case 1.

Another contact 15 is mounted on suitable insulation 16, carried by case 1 or is otherwise suitably insulated from said case.

The contacts 13 and 15 are connected to the respective branches of the circuit 12.

A contact pin 17 which may be connected either to contact 13 or contact 15, is adapted to engagethe other of said packages when the cigarette package 4 is introduced into the compartment 3 but this pin breaks contact and opens the circuit 12 when the spring contact 13 is in the dotted line position, which is the normal position, when no cigarette package is in the compartment 3.

Any suitable plug or connector 18 is included in the circuit 12, and is adapted to be plugged into any suitable socket carrying the usual electric light current.

Normally, contact 13 is in the dotted line position, projecting into the interior of the compartment 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The circuit to motor 7 being broken, the cutter does not turn. Whena package of cigarettes 4 is introduced into the compartment 3, it bears against the contact 13 and closes the circuit 12, starting the motor 7 which, by the time the package 4 has been pressed all the way down to the bottom of the compartment 3, is rotating rapidly so that when the lower I end of the package 4 encounters the cutter 10,

a part of the end of the package is cut off and the seal 4 is mutilated.

On the withdrawal of the package 4, the contact 13 springs back into the compartment 3 and the circuit is opened.

It will be understood that the motor shaft 9 can be disposed horizontally, instead of vertically as shown, and that the compartment 3 may have its greatest length'disposed horizontally, to enable the package 4 to be inserted' sidewise into the compartment and still destroy the seal 4 when the seal-carryingend of the package encounters the cutter 10. e

What we claim is: i 1. In a cigarette package opener, the com bination with a normally inoperative electric motor,eand a cutter adapted to be driven by said electric motor, and an electric switch controlling'the circuit of said motor, of means for guiding the package of cigarettes to said cutter in position to enable the package to automatically close said switch, thereby to complete the circuit of said motor, whereby the motor is started when the switch is closed as aforesaid.

2. In a cigarette package opener, the combination with a normally inoperative electric motor, and a cutter adapted to be driven by said motor, of a guide for guiding a package of cigarettes to said cutter, and a self-opening switch controlling the circuit of the mo tor which has a member carried by said guide in position to be engaged by the package'of cigarettes for the purpose of closing the circuit to the motor when the said package is advancing toward the cutter, whereby the motor is started when the switch is closed as aforesaid.

3. In a cigarette package opener, the combination with a case having a compartment extending inwardly from a wall of said case, said compartment having an open part within the case, of an electric-motor-driven-cutter adapted to operate in said open part of the compartment, said compartment serving as a guide bywhich a package of said cigarettes may be fed to said cutter, and an electric switch controlling the circuit of the electric motor, said switch being arranged for automatic actuation by the package of cigarettes when it is inserted within the compartment.

4. In a cigarette package opener, a flat cutter having cutting edges and outstanding cutters arranged angularly to the plane of said cutter.

5. In a cigarette package opener, the combination with a case having a compartment extending inwardly from the exterior thereof and provided with an open part, said compartment being adapted to receive a package of cigarettes which it is desired to open, of a fiat rotary cutter having outstanding cutters arranged angularly to the plane thereof, said cutter being mounted to turn in said open part across the end of the cigarette package.

6. In a cigarette package opener, the combination with a case having a compartment extending inwardly from the exterior thereof and provided with an open part, said compartment being adapted to receive a package of cigarettes which it is desired to open, of a rotary cutter having outstanding cutting members, said cutter and members being adapted to remove a part of the inner end of the package of cigarettes and to mutilate the seal thereof, an electric motor for driving said rotary cutter, and an electric switch controlling said motor, whereby the motor may be started, operated, or stopped.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

FRANK L. WEST. LA VELLE A. MARTIN. 

